Large reasoning models almost certainly can think

Recent discourse surrounding large reasoning models (LRMs) has been fueled by Apple's publication "Illusion of Thinking," which argues that LRMs are incapable of genuine thought, asserting they merely perform pattern-matching rather than reasoning. This claim is challenged by the observation that even humans, who can understand algorithms like the Tower-of-Hanoi, often fail to solve complex instances, suggesting that the inability to perform certain calculations does not equate to a lack of thinking. The author contends that the absence of evidence against LRMs' capacity for thought is not proof of their incapacity, and posits that LR